Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Donald P. Hall, M.D's book, Depression: A Biblical and Medical Approach to Emotional Wholeness, (Harvest House Publishers, 2009). 

Depression robs you of the joy God wants you to have in every part of your being: physical (injured brain cells), mental (sad and anxious thoughts), and spiritual (a crisis of faith).  So, to fight depression, you can be most successful with strategies that help your brain, mind, and spirit together.

Here's how you can heal from depression:

Recognize the symptoms.  Symptoms of depression include: inability to work or maintain loving relationships, insomnia, weight loss, low energy and motivation, lost interest in pleasure, irritability, obsessive self-criticism, hopelessness, and thoughts of suicide.

Stop substance abuse.  Excessively drinking alcohol or other destructive habits (like taking prescription medications that interact with each other) can fuel depression.  If you have a substance abuse problem, join a recovery support group.  Work to replace the bad habit with good habits.  Keep in mind that you're especially vulnerable to relapsing when you're hungry, angry, lonely, or tired - so try to avoid those situations as much as possible.  Stay away from the people and places that feed your bad habit, and surround yourself with people who support your new, healthy choices.

Medicate chemical imbalances.  Don't hesitate to ask a doctor about possibly prescribing you anti-depressive medication if necessary.  Depression is an illness that sometimes requires medication to help your brain chemistry return to normal and stimulate re-growth of brain cells that have been damaged.  Recognize that God can use medication as part of your path to healing, and that faith and medicine can work together to help you recover.  When choosing medications, ask for ones that target your specific symptoms, and get information on potential side effects.  Give your medications enough time to show how well they're working before deciding whether or not to continue them.

Adjust expectations of yourself.  Setting your expectations too high can cause stress that fuels depression.  Ask God to help you recognize your limits and find peace within them.  Rely on God's unlimited power working through you to help you face challenges, rather than worrying about how you'll handle them on your own.  Remember some specific ways God has helped you in the past, and expect Him to continue to help you in the future.  Thank God for how He has answered your prayers.  Rather than overreacting to stressful situations or resigning yourself to them, pray about them.  Place your full trust and confidence in God to work the circumstances of your life out in ways that accomplish good purposes, because He wants the best for you.